Multiple cover operating mechanism



Feb..18, 1941. H. F. SPENCER MULTIPLE COVER OPERATING MECH-mism Filed July 14, 1957 4 Sheets-sheet 1 INVENT'oR.

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Feb. 1 8, 1941. H, F, SPENCER 2,232,281

l HULTIPLE covER OPERATING MEGHANISM n Filed July 14, 1937 #sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. J 7W? Feb. 18, 1941. g, F, SPENCER 2,232,281

IULTIPLE COVER OPERATING MECHANISM Filed July 14, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 .Y .SW [im H INVENTOR.

MW/P E BY 7% y ATT RNEY3.

Feb. 18, 1941. H, F, SPENCERv 2,232,281

MULTIPLE COVER OPERATING MECHANISM Filed July 14, 1937 4` sheets-sheet 4 .BYMLW A TTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 18, 1941 UNrrlezp STATES PATENT OFFICE Amon,

ted. Pittsburgh. Pa.. a corporation of Pennsylvania Applicaties .luis 14, mi, serial No. 153,521

' 4 claims (ci. zia-4) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in coveroperating mechanism for soaking pit furnaces, and it is among the obiects thereof to provide a cover and cover operating mechanism that is especially suited to groups of soaking pits arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, and whereby a plurality of sealed covers can be manipulated by a single carriage to open and close the soaking pit furnaces. 4

Further objects o! the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanyingdrawings constituting a part hereof in which like reference characters designate like parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view partially in section of a cover operating mechanismv and soaking pit covers embodying the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 a side elevational view of the carriage and cover operating mechanism, taken along the line 2-.2, Fig. 3, showing the cover and a portion of the soaking pit walls in cross-section;

Fig. 3 aplan view of the carriage and operating mechanism;

Fig. 4 a diagrammatic view illustrating the adaptation of the carriage and operating mechanism to a group of soaking pit furnaces;

Fig. 5 a diagrammatic view illustrating the cooperative relation of the overhead ingot handling crane and the cover operating mechanism; and

Fig. 6 a diagrammatic view of a control system for the hoist and traversing motors.

With reference to Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, the numeral I designates soaking pit covers which will be hereinafter described in detail, there being six covers shown in Fig. 4, with one cover removed to expose a soaking p'it 2, in which steel ingots 3 are placed for heating to bring them to the required Itemperature for rolling mill operations. On the sides of the soaking pits, rails 5 are provided for supporting a wheeled carriage 6 which traverses all of the soaking pits, and by Vmeans of mechanism to be hereinafter described, lifts the covers as desired and moves them a sufilcient distance towexpose the ingots,4

which are removed from'the soaking vpits by means of a series of overhead cranes 1, Fig. 5, that operate on rails 8 transversely disposed to the rails 5 of the covencarriage. A pair of rails 9 is provided parallel to the covercarriage rails 5 for supporting ,an ingot chariot designated by the numeral Ill, and ingot car tracks II and I2 are provided parallel to the chariot track l for trlmorn insots to and from thesoaking pit furnaces.

In heating ingots they are delivered on the tracks II and I2 in either a cool or hot state but preferably the latter. They are removed by the ii cranes 1 and placed in the soaking pit furnaces 2, as shown -in Fig. 4. The cover operating carringe l manipulates the covers I by lifting them out of the sandseals in which they are seated around the upper periphery of the furnaces 2, 10 and then moving them in either direction, as required, to render the furnace accessible. When the ingots are heated to a suitable rolling temperature. they are removed from the pit by the crane I and placed onl the chariot Ill, which del5 livers them to the rolling mill.

'I'he foregoing operations require emcient coordination of the cover operating and crane mechanisms to facilitate delivery of the heated ingots to the rolling mill, which must be operated at maximum capacity for the maintenance of production schedules', andthe present invention is directed to coveroperating mechanism by means of which suitable coordination of cover movements with crane manipulations are' avail- 25 able, such mechanism being shown in detail in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings as follows:

With reference to Fig. 2, the'cover I is shown resting on'the vertical walls 2 of a soaking pit,

. with vertically depending flanges I3 of the cover 30 seating in a sand seal Il, provided all around the top wall of the furnace. The cover is constructed of refractory blocks Il and I t tied-in by channels Il. Beams I8 are mounted on the cover and providedl with transverse I-beams I9, more clearly shown in Fig. l, the latter being adapted for engagement by channel-shaped .lifting members 20 that are attached to bars 2|, which are connecty ed to links 22 of the carriage 6. The links 22 are raised or lowered by crank shafts 23 actuated 40 through transmissions 24, driven by motors A and B. As shown in Fig. 3, the motors A and B are coupled through drive connections 2i to a pair of shafts 21 to drive the transmissions 24 simultaneously, so that all of the links 22, of .which there are four'for each hoist, will be" actuated simultaneously. As shown in Fig. 1. there are two hoists on each carriage, although where but a single row of-'pits are to be operated', one of the hoists may be employed on a carriage half the size of that' shown in Figs. 1 and 3. As shown in Fig. l, the carriage beam or girder 0 is provided with steps lf leading to the top of the carriage, on which may be mounted theoperators cab centrally of the carriage. 55

operative during the hoisting movement of the covers.

As shown in Fig. 6, hoist motors A, B and )traversing motor C are connected in a power line 22a with terminals I4 contacting power rails Il. The respective motors are Iconnected to magnetically operated control panels A', B' and C'. respectively. The numeral 20 designates a push button control for motor A, and the numerals $1,

il and 39, rotating gang cam switches actuated by cover operating mechanism driven by motor A. Switch 21 is a limit switch for stopping cover operating mechanism A at extreme top or bottom of travel. It is normally in closed position. Switch 24 is a limit switch preventing. action of cover operating mechanism B unless operating mechanism A has returned the cover to lowest position. It is normally in open position. Switch $9 is a limit switch preventing operation of traversing motor except when cover operating mechanism A is at either top or bottom of travel. It is normally open. v

Motor B is provided with a push button con- A trol switch and limit switches 4|, 42 and 4I corresponding in function to switches 31, 3l and Il of cover mechanism A.

A two-pole limit switch 44 is mounted on theI crane carriage t and is operated by a lug adjacent rails I situated at centerline oi the soaking pit. This switch functions to prevent operation of either motors A or B lunless carriage t is in proper position for placing vthe pit covers I.

Cover traversing motor C is controlled by drum type controller 4I which is both the `directional and speed control. A limit switch 44 prevents overtravel of motor C at ends of tracks l and applies magnetic brake at this point of travel. A push button switch 41 is provided to shortout switch 40 so that the operator can return carriage t tonormal position.

Motors A, B and C are provided with magnetic brakes 48, 4! and l0, respectively, to prevent overtravel. these brakes being normally applied upon deenergization of the motors.

In the operation of the cover-hoisting and traversing mechanism, the carriage may be moved on the rails 5 to any position over any one'of the pairs of soaking pits, shown in Fig. 4, and in so moving, the hoist members 2li pass over the upper sections of the I-beams i9 in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the registry of the lifting elements 20 and I-beams l! of the covers being maintained at all times as there is no transverse movement of the hoisting mechanism with respect to the carriage onV which it is sup- POrted.

Proper alignment of the carriage with any particular soaking pit is always effected. The operators lwill energize the lifting motors A and B of the hoist to engage the lifting means with theiparticular cover it is desired to manipulate.

By means of the lifting links 22 and the engagement of'the hoist elements 20 with the I-beams Il, the coveris raised out of the sand seal I4 and the carriage is then propelled by drive motor C to move it on its supporting rails l to traverse the soaking pit in either direction. the illustrare?.

tion or Fig. 4 showing half of the soaking pitexposed bymovement ofthe cover in the righthand direction, as viewed from the base line at the 5 side of the sheet. The crane operator then manipulates the crane 1 to engage one of the ingots 3, and immediately upon removal of the ingot, the cover carriage moves back to pla epand the cover is lowered into the seal. Th ingot I is placed on the chariot I0 underneath the crane 1 and the ingot is delivered to the roll-A4V ing mill. Upon the return oi the chariot III, the removal of the ingot is accomplished by repeating the above described operation of removing l5 the cover until all of the ingots on one side of the pit have been removed. Upon the next operation of the cover carriage, the cover is moved in the opposite direction to that shown in Fig. 4 to expose .the other half of the furnace until all 20 of the ingots have been discharged from the furnace. The charging of the ingots is accomplished in the same manner, by exposing only half of the furnace, and the ingots are re-f moved from the ingot cars' on tracks Il and I2 25 soaking pits, from which it is desired to remove 35 the cover.

When the carriage is in proper position, as determined by the closing of switch 44 by the stationary lug adjacent the carriage rail, limit switch 42 will be already closed because cover 40 operating mechanism B is at its lowest position. Theoperator then presses push button 28, which shorts-out limit switch 31, thus completing the control circuit for motor A, which starts lifting the cover. switch l1 closes. thus making it unnecessary to hold push button It. At the same time, switch 2l opens, thus preventing the possibility of the carriage moving. Limit switch Il also opens at this time, thus preventing the operation of cover 50 operating mechanism motor B. When the cover has reached the top of its travel, switch 21 opens and stops motor A, at the same time applying brake 48 to the motor. At this point, switch ll is again closed, making it possible to operate '55 the controller 45, which energizes the traversing motor C, causing the carriage and cover to move from the pit. When the carriage moves from the position over the pit, switch 44 opens, thus rendering the hoisting motors A and B inoperative. 50

To replace the cover, the carriage is traversed to the position over the pit by manipulating the controller 45, and when in proper position, switch 44 again closes and the carriage operator then completes the control circuit for motor A by closing push button switch 34 and the cover is lowered on its seal. When the cover reaches its lowest position, switch 31 opens the circuit of motor A and closes limit switches 34 and 39,

thus rendering the control circuit for motor B operative or permitting traversing of the carriage by the controls of motor C. The cover C is operated as above, with the exception that switches 40, 4|, 42 and 43 controlling the circuit for motor B are actuated in p lace of switches As the cover moves upward, limit 45 36, 31, 38 and 39 of the control circuit for motorA.

As thercis a'substantial heating and soaking period during which the ingots are brought to the proper rolling temperature, the. cover carriage 6 .may service a plurality of soaking pits.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the soaking pit cover-operating mechanism- .f The invention is furthermore adapted to soaking pit furnace operation where the pits are of unusually large size, as in modern soaking pit construction wherein twelve or more ingots are simultaneously charged and heated in a single pit.

has been herein illustrated and described, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim:

l. A cover Alifting mechanism comprising a' the members may slide freely over the I-beams when the carriage passes thereover, and to engage the I-beams to lift the covers when the carriage is in position over the cover.

2. A furnace cover operating mechanism comprising a carriage movable over the furnace in -a horizontal plane, a plurality of hoists mounted on said carriage, each adapted to engage a cover of the furnace for raising or lowering the same,

' a-motor for actuating the carriage in its traversing movements over the furnace, a motor for each of'the hoists, a control circuit "for said motors including a limit switch normally open to render the hoist motor `circuits inoperative Although one embodiment of the invention v during the movement of the traversing-motor l and being adapted for closing automatically when the carriage is in alignment with the cover members, limit switches in said motor circuit adapted to render each of the hoist motors operative separately while the traversing motor is rendered inoperative, and manually operated switches forv energizing the' motor circuits when the limit switches are in their normally operative' position. A

3. An apparatus for selectively operating the covers of a plurality of soaking pits arranged invparallel rows, comprising, in combination, a

crane bridge mounted to travel transversely of salti` rows, a plurality'of hoisting mechanisms mounted on said bridge, one for each of the covers in a row and eachfincluding a motor,

a plurality of lifting members spaced apart both longitudinally and transversely of the bridge, and overlying opposite .side portions of a cover when in position thereover, and means driven byI said motor to actuate said lifting members in unison between upper and lower limit positions, and members rigid with the cover and positioned thereon for coaction with said lifting members, said lifting members and rigid members being shaped to interfit with each other preliminary to cover hoisting engagement as an incident to the horizontal travel of the bridge with the lifting members in their lower limit positions. l

il. An apparatus for selectively operating the covers of a plurality of soaking pits arranged in parallel rows, comprising, in combination, a crane bridge mounted to travel transversely of said rows, a plurality of hoisting mechanisms mounted on said bridge, one for each cover in a row and each including a motor, a pair of lifting beams and means driven by said motorv toactuate said beams in .unison between upper and lower limit positions, the lifting beams of each hoisting mechanism being spaced apart longitudinally of the bridge so as to overlie opposite side portions of a cover when'v in position thereover. and interfltting coupling means operative automatically as an incident to the horizontal travel of the bridge with the beams in their lowerlimit positions to effect positivemechanical lifting connections with the cover at the opposite ends of said beams.

, HOWARD I". SPENCER. 

